Some of the frustration fizzled away from Roxy's vigorous swimming, but not all - most of it left was probably Jess' own anger at herself, and at the men who'd trapped them in this situation. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she sighed. Floating wasn't as soothing as she'd thought it would be. Instead, she felt helpless, like a leaf drifting in a river. She turned over and sped up into a proper swim, from one end of the pool to the other, her movements not furious like Roxy's but slow and rhythmic. Controlled. One of the few kinds of control that were possible right now.

"Glad it's helping," she said, moving a little closer to show Roxy she didn't have to worry about bothering her. By now, they'd both reached a similar pace. "As much as it can, anyway."

"I'm sorry about this weekend." Roxy stopped at the wall. Partly to catch her breath. She was about as relaxed as she was going to get as long as they were here. Unfortunately they had to deal with this crap tomorrow. She wasn't looking forward to it but she accepted that to keep Jess safe she was going to have to play along. At least as long as the empath wasn't able to protect herself.

"We can head to bed whenever your ready." It wasn't late but she doubted that Jess wanted to spend the next couple hours in the water. Roxy easily could have. She had done so more than once in the past. But she wouldn't ask Jess to do that. Not everyone liked spending hours in water. For some the hour they had spent doing laps would have been enough. She would figure out a way to spend the rest of the evening until she was ready to try to sleep.

"You don't have to be sorry," Jess replied, turning and treading water. "Like I said, you're not the one to blame here." An easy thing to do, blame oneself, as she knew all too well. No matter how much she swam, her own guilt lingered in the back of her mind. Still, if she and Roxy kept putting the blame on themselves, it wouldn't help either of them. Better to remember the one - or rather, the two - unambiguously at fault. "He is. They both are."

She resumed the leisurely pace of her swim. "I'm good either way, just let me know when you want to stop." She'd pick up on it anyway, but right now she could tell Roxy would happily stay in the water a while longer - for a given value of "happily". A longer swim wasn't something Jess would complain about. As things were, this was the closest to relaxed the two would get any time soon.

Roxy snorted when Jess said that the situation. She wished she believed that. She didn't. "I know people who have gotten themselves out of situations like this but I'm not able to do it so it's at least partially my fault." She hadn't even met her brother but she refused to give up the chance. Her father used that desire against her but someday when Drake was older she would be able to say that she had tried and given up.

"Alright. We'll go another hour and then see how you feel. If you want to get out before that just let me know." As long as Jess didn't mind staying in the pool Roxy figure she might as well take advantage of the time. She could relax a bit. She wanted to exhaust herself as much as possible. The more tired she was the better she would be able to sleep.

Jess looked over at Roxy, face resolute despite the lingering anxiety. At least it had eased as much as it could for both of them. "Not able to yet," she said, emphasis on the last word. "We'll find some way to get out of this." The fact that others had succeeded didn't make the situation Roxy's fault. It was just proof they had a chance of doing the same... wasn't it?

"And yep, sounds good, I will do." Another hour of swimming suited her, and the physical exertion would hopefully mean they'd sleep better. She swam around the pool, her thoughts going in circles as her body did. The relaxation should have helped her think clearly, but no ideas came to mind. No ideas yet, anyway, she told herself as she'd told Roxy. They'd think of something. They'd have to.

At the end of the hour, Roxy was in a much better place emotionally and mentally. Her body was exhausted. She was pretty sure that she could get a decent night's sleep. "I'm ready to call it a night." She indicated that Jess that she was ready to get out before climbing out of the pool. She waited for Jess so she didn't accidentally put too much distance between them. Then headed to the changing room. She dried off before getting dressed. She was almost reluctant to get dressed since she would have to undress again when they reached the room.

Once Jess indicated that she was ready to go,Roxy headed to their rooms. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. One she wasn't looking forward to. It was only a little over twenty four more hours before they could leave. She would go back to her life. At least until they found a way to force Jess to work for them.

"Good night." She said before closed the door to her room. She stripped again and changed into her night clothes. Which consisted of a large black t-shirt that hung loss on her small from and a pair of comfortable shorts.

Exhaling heavily, Jess swam over to Roxy. "Yeah, same." Her muscles ached, but it was the satisfying ache of a vigorous exercise session, which had done both of them good. Just as Roxy had hoped, it had burned off most of the stress and anger. "Seems like it was what we needed." Maybe in the morning, they'd be able to think of something. If the situation didn't hit again like a truck, that was.

She quickly caught up with Roxy, who waited by the changing room, and followed her in. After getting dried and dressed, she headed back down the hallway beside her, to the rooms set up for them. As comfortable as hers looked, and as grateful as she was to the maid, the knowledge of whose house it was offset the effect.

Nonetheless, she gave Roxy a little smile. "Night," she replied, and headed into the spare room. She almost didn't want to sleep. If she slept now, she thought while changing into her pyjamas, it would be morning before she knew it. Another day of dealing with this crap. She dug out a book from her suitcase, but barely read a page before her eyelids grew heavy and her focus drifted. Switching off the light, she nestled into the soft linen. Being well rested would mean being better able to support Roxy, and not screwing up like earlier.

At least they only had one more day here. Then it would be back to their lives, even if those lives were still entangled in Mr Black's until they found a way to escape.

The night was rough for Roxy. Sleeping in her old room stirred up memories that she had shoved to the back of her mind. Like the nigh Maxwell had tried to force himself on her. It had been her sixteenth birthday. Her father had thrown a party. It wasn't the usual sweet sixteen other girls had. She hadn't really consider herself a girl at that time. The party guest had been her father's men bug she hadn't minded. She was closer to them then kids her age. There had been alcohol and she had gotten a buzz. She had only had a little. She hadn't wanted to lose control. It was a good thing that she hadn't drank more. If she had she might not have been able to fight Maxwell off.

She bolted awake at six. She hoped she hadn't woken Jess but she knew that she probably had. Her heart raced. She was glad that they would be able to leave today. She couldn't handle much of this.

Jess woke with a start. She sat up to see weak rays of light filtering through the curtains, morning having arrived all too soon. She couldn't recall any nightmares, but her heart thudded, and a sheen of cold sweat clung to her skin. Which meant this wasn't so much her reaction as Roxy's, this house reminding the anchor of a past she'd rather forget. A past she couldn't forget as they both became more and more caught up in it.

Pushing away the covers, Jess wrapped her arms around her body as a sense of vulnerability flooded her. She grimaced, her stomach turning. What exactly had Roxy been through here? Right away, Jess clambered out of bed, hurried from the room and knocked on Roxy's door. "Are you ok?" she asked. Stupid question, especially coming from an empath, but it was the first thing she could think to say.

For all she knew, Roxy could still be asleep, If she was, though, this would wake her from any nightmare she was having.

Roxy took a deep breath trying to calm herself. She hated the way being here made her feel. She hate feeling weak. She reminded herself that they just a few more hours. She pull her walls up. She needed to be strong just a little longer. Breakfast and lunch. They should be able to leave before dinner. She was sure that she could do this. She had survived before she could do it again. She flinched when Jess knocked on her door.

She opened the door for Jess. "I'm fine." She assured the empath. They both knew that was a lie but Roxy would never, especially here, admitted that she wasn't alright. She couldn't. It was too important that she be strong not only for herself but for Jess. The empath needed her to strength to protect her as much as possible. Especially here. The stress was going to batter the already strained bubble that was supposed to protect Jess from emotion. "Let's get this day over with."

Roxy wasn't fine, that much would have been obvious even to a non-empath. Still, Jess didn't blame the anchor for having her guard up even higher than usual here. Knowing better than to pry, which would only add to that sense of vulnerability, she nodded. "Yeah. Just a few more hours."

Except it would take more than a few hours for them to be truly free. Even once they were back home, the deal would hang over their heads until they found a way out... And Jess would have to get her mother involved. She cringed at the thought. Enough people were tangled up in Mr Black's twisted plan.

"Ehh, sorry if I woke you early," she continued, then bit her lip. No. She couldn't revert to being that fragile person who apologised too much. She had to be strong. One, getting out of a situation like this required strength. Two, it would take some of the strain off Roxy, who tried to carry the burden for both of them. "But yeah, now we're up, we might as well get ready." In their jittery state, neither of them would get back to sleep.

"You didn't wake me." Roxy reassured Jess. She was almost sure that she had been up first. Not that mattered. They were up. Breakfast would be served soon. Just the thought of dealing with Maxwell and her father angered her. She tried to push the emotion away. It was a waste 0f energy that she would need later. She nodded when Jess suggested that they get ready. There was little else they could do.

"Yea. Let's get ready so we can get this day over with." Roxy turned back into her room. The sooner she got dressed the sooner she could get out of here. She didn't need her father or his world. She was doing fine on her own. The only reason she had any connection to him was because of her brother. She wanted Drake to know that she cared. She hadn't abandoned him. She could have left and never looked back but she hadn't because what happened hadn't been his fault.

Jess headed back into the spare room, taking deep, steady breaths as she washed and dressed. She couldn't let herself say anything stupid this time, no matter what an emotionally trying experience sitting across from Maxwell and Mr Black would be, for the two of them. Considering the deal, and Roxy's mental state just now, Jess knew full well this would be even tougher today than it had been yesterday.

Once ready, she sat on the bed for a few moments, before steeling herself and leaving the room. Like Roxy had said, it was best to get this over with. Already, she could hear the footsteps of servants up and about, which could only mean one thing. "Let me guess," she called to Roxy, "breakfast soon?" It seemed a little early to eat, but the sooner the meal was served, the sooner the little gathering would be over. Their threats, however, would stay with the two a lot longer.

Roxy stepped out of her room once she was dressed. She waited for Jess. She nodded. "It should be just about ready." She headed down the hall. The sooner that they eat the sooner this day would be over.

As they walked towards the kitchen they would hear multiple voices. It appeared that it was no longer just Maxwell and Reginald. Frustration flashed through her. It had to be the board members. Business was the last she want to deal with but at least it would get their attention on her sex life or lack there of.

Roxy headed to the formal dinning room. Her father and Maxwell sat at the table with four other man. They were all her father's age. They all stood when they arrived. "There they are. Please be seated girls so we can begin. After breakfast we have a lot to discuss." Reginald indicated to the two empty seats. Unfortunately the seats weren't next to each other. They were on opposite side of the table.

Following Roxy, Jess fought back a groan when she heard several voices. Judging by that surge of irritation from the anchor, those voices didn't belong to the kitchen staff. Sitting through breakfast with Maxwell and Reginald would have been bad enough, but several people? "Another guess," she whispered to Roxy. "There's going to be a business meeting over breakfast?"

Sure enough, when they entered the dining room, four other men sat waiting for them alongside Maxwell and Mr Black. At Reginald's mention of things to discuss, Jess' stomach churned. Some kind of deal was surely about to take place, and if yesterday was anything to go by, it would be one they had no say in - or at the very least, refusing would have consequences.

Without a word, she took a seat, trying to mask the simmering frustration. Letting too much slip this time would be a particularly bad move.

"This is the empath that my daughter has been matched with. She's able to feel all emotions. She will be helping us work out a business deal. She going to keep us all honest." Reginald gave Jess a pointed look as explained. It was clear he expected her to give him information without giving away information. Served the food. Each plate had a large serving of eggs, sausage, and bacon on it.

"I told you I didn't want to be involved in the business." Roxy growled. She had once wanted to but when Drake had been born she had been replaced. Her father had been happy to forget her until he learned about Jess. He still didn't care about her. She was just a means to an end. He wanted the empath. She wasn't going to simply play along. She was a fighter. She wasn't going to give in just because he want to make hard.

"You have a way to secure your brother's future and you wish to keep it to yourself. I knew you were selfish Roxanne but I had hoped being around an empath would teach you how your actions affect other people. It isn't like I'm asking that much of you." Her father stated calmly.

Frustration and guilt flashed through Roxy. She knew she wasn't responsible for what her father did but he always made her feel like she was.

Jess tried to keep herself from visibly squirming. She looked up from the food, which would have been appetising any other time except now. "Well, not all emotions," she told the men. It was technically true, as Roxy's shield muted them to an extent. She just wasn't going to reveal any more about how limited that extent was if she could help it.

Mr Black, though, was still doing his utmost to get what he wanted, responding to Roxy's protest with a guilt trip. Lips pressed together, Jess thought back to something she'd once overheard her mom saying, about narcissistic parents, how they deflected blame and manipulated their children into thinking problems were their fault. "Roxy isn't selfish, I can tell you that," she replied, making sure her voice didn't rise with the anger. No selfish person would have put themselves in this situation for a stranger. "She'd just rather not be involved, even if her brother is. It isn't her responsibility."

She'd probably just gone and started another argument, but defending Roxy was all she could do. From the sheer level of guilt, she could tell Roxy cared about her brother, who was all too possibly another unwilling pawn in this. And Mr Black was exactly the kind of person to get at his daughter through that concern.

"It isn't an older siblings responsibility to look after their siblings? " Reginald challenged. Older siblings were often expected to take care of their younger siblings. It was one of the key roles older children played in a family. "I didn't know that asking Roxanne to care about her brother's future was asking too much. I thought family took care of family." There was the guilt trip again he wasn't asking for the world.

"It isn't like we're asking her to do anything illegal or immortal. We simply want to know if the men here tonight are lying or not. If they're lying they can't have the boys beat interest in mind." Maxwell explained. Again it was a perfectly reasonable. Someone on the outside looking in might be able to see the benefits of doing what they asked.

The problem was that it wasn't that simple and Roxy knew that. This was only the tip of the iceberg. The part that looked safe. But there was so much more under the surface. Things that would come out to haunt them at a later date. Once they went down this road it would be hard to turn back but she wasn't sure that she could avoid it. She might have to give in to protect Jess and Drake.

"Family does take care of family," Jess countered, "but it depends what that care involves." As she spoke, she tried not to think of having to get her mother in contact with Mr Black, and how on earth she'd protect her from all this. So many tough decisions involving family, for both her and for Roxy. So few right answers, if any.

She could already tell there was more to this deal than Reginald and Maxwell let on, judging by the way Reginald kept so much concealed. Still, she fell silent, staring down at her plate in defeat. The more she defended Roxy, the more her father would guilt trip her. And if they outright refused to play along, she was sure Roxy would suffer for it - or her brother would.

Jess wasn't giving in yet though, not completely. If they got involved, getting back out would be far from easy, and Roxy would possibly suffer even more that way. "I understand your point," she continued, in as civil a tone as she could, "and your concerns. But sometimes people are really good at lying, to the point that they don't feel much when they do. So it's just fair to let you know it may not be foolproof."

"And why would it depend on what is asked of you Jessamyn? Is there something that you wouldn't do for your family?" Maxwell asked. It was vlear that he was implying that ahe might be the reason that Roxy didn't want to get involved even though everyone knew that wasn't the case. Why they want to make it seem that way was unclear.

"These men aren't psychopaths or sociopath. They will feel some kind of emotion when they answer the questions we intend to ask." Reginald assured her. He knew she would get something even if it wasn't much. Whatever she could get would help them determine what they wanted to do. "You just tell us what you pick up. If you honestly pick up nothing than you pick up nothing. We just want to know what you pick up." he assured her. If she picked up nothing they would know she was lying or unable to do what they wanted. Neither would be good.